Parachute.



J. J. TANNBR.

PARAOHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1911.

1,019,858, Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

JJJk/mer lnvenf r y r I Attorneys JOSEPH JUNIUS Tm, or CLOVER, UTAH.

PARACHUTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 28, 1911. Serial No; 605,301.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Josnrn J. Tanner, a citizen of the United States, residlng at Clover, in the county of Tooele and State of Utah, have invented a new and useful Parachute, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to aeronautics, and more especially to safety devices; and the object of the same is to provide means for the instantaneous mechanical distention of a parachute so as to provide for the safety of persons in times of accident, whether in an aeroplane, a'balloon, or other air craft or indeed if falling through the air, jumping from a burning building or other high place.

To this end the invention consists broadly in the utilization of a parachute with an air craft, together with a housing for the'parachute and means for expelling it forcibly therefrom when occasion requires; and the invention consists specifically in the details of construction whereby this end is brought about. The idea is disclosed and claimed in the following specification, and shown in the drawings wherein- Figure 1 is an elevation of this device in use showing it diagrammatically as attached to and supporting an aeroplane. Fig.2 is an enlarged vertical section through this device with the parachute housed therein. Fig. 3 is a detail showing the housing as made in sections which fly apart at the moment of explosion and break the connections between it and the aeroplane, herein shown as straps; and this view also shows a spool or reel upon which the rope may be wound, and the plug in sections or pieces. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the housing when made larger at the upper end.

Owing to the great weight of aeroplanes it might not be possible to entirely support one in its descent, but by the arrangement at lease,

different points, as for instance, on each win and in the middle near 0 erator, this device when arranged electrical y or by any other" quick acting mechanical means of rewould materially assist in aiding the operator to 'safelyland both himself and his motor troubles, etc.; this device acting as a brake or retarding medium, would make ossible the continued control over the mac ine and furnish practical means of reaching the earth in safety. This idea also embraces the possi bility of using the device as a brake in anding even when no accident or trouble has occurred.

' In the drawings the letter A designates diagrammatically or theoretically an air craft, here shown as an aeroplane, P is a parachute, and C are the cords leading from the bottom of the parachute downward to a common center from which something may be supported or by which at least something may be retarded in falling to the ground. This common center is here designated by an ordinary ring R.

The object of the present invention is to house the parachute in a strong, small and Patented Mar. 12,1912.

light casing so that it may be carried by an aircraft or on the back or person of the aeronaut, and to provide means whereby it may be forcibly and quickly expelled from said housing and thrown into open or operative position in times of emergency, and I will now proceed to a specific description of the preferred means for carrying out my invention.

The numeral 5 designates a shell, here shown as a tube of rather stout paper although it might be of ratherthin metal, its length, shape and size being sufficient to contain the parachute P when the same is folded into compact compass, and its cords C which of course lead from the edges of the parachute to the ring R as usual. From said ring leads a rope 6 which is of a size, kind and flexibility permitting a considerable length of it to be coiled or stored loosely within the shell 5 beneath the parachute P. This rope 6 leads downward through what may be a sectionally made block or plug 7 (part of the rope being coiled below the plug 7 sufficient to extend beyond the outer end of easing or shell) which is 'fitted within the shell 5 above its closed lower end 8, and between the latter and the plug is coiled part of the rope 6, and an expansive or explosive agent here desi nated by the numeral 9. The same may e a spring or powder or another agent which expands on release, or explodes when ignited, or it might be compressed air or gas or a charge of gasolene, any of which would need some means of ignition or release herein designated broadly by the numeral 10 and illustrated as a trigger.- The rope 6 leads downward through a hole in the plug a portion of same being coiled under plug in space with ejecting means and thence downward through the charge of explosive agent 9, and is attached vice.

to an eye bolt 12 which extends through and is made fast in the closed lower end 8 of the shell, as by a nut 11; the shell 5 and eye bolt 12 being firmly attached to the aeroplane,

person or object being supported. It is the aeroplane in an upright position with its upper end open to the air, and the ex plosive agent 9 may be a compressed charge of gasolene vapor taken from the engine usually employed for propelling aeroplanes as made at the present time.

The action of this invention will now be obvious, and its utility and advantage are apparent. Supposing some accident occurs and the aviator with or without his machine is falling through the air. He pulls upon the trip rope 14 and actuates the trigger 10, and the latter explodes the charge 9 within the shell 5. The lower end 8 of the latter being closed, the plug 7 is driven forcibly upward throughout the length of Y the shell, and in its passage it carries with for'cibly from the upper end of the shell into the air by the power of the explosion I and yet are protected from injury by the 40 it the coiled rope 6, the cords C, and the folded parachute 1 all of which are ejected presence of the plug 7, which may be made In sections which when ejected from the d 'shell, will-fall in pieces ,and be out of the way of the rope, etc. It will be obvious that as soon as the parachute is driven out of its containing or surrounding shell it will open up by reason of the upward rush of air passing alongside the shell and into the parachute P. At this time the rope 6 becomes taut, and by preference its length is such that the ring R may stand within 10 feet ofthe upper end of the shell 5, but may be of any length, from which ring the cords C diverge upward as seen in Fig. 1. It follows that whatever is attached thereto, person pr thing, will be sustained or retarded in its descent or fall, b the fact that the widespread parwchute body will meet with resistance as it is drawn forcibly downward through the air toward the earth. The plug 7 should fit closely around the ro e 6' so that no damage may occur to.the fo ded parachute P. as it is being expelled by explosion from the tube or shell; this being necessary, it-is obvious that a portion of the rope 6 should be coiled below the plug, a suflicient length to at least reach beyond the outer end of the shell or casing 5; said rope should be of a suitable make or material so that it will not be weakened or in any way damaged by the ejecting means, be it powder, spring, gasolene vapor, or other means.

My invention is susceptible of considerable modification or amplification due to the exigencies of the case or the preference of the manufacturer. For instance, the shell or housing may be madesectional as shown at 50 in Fig. 3, or it may be made-in the shape of an inverted truncated cone asat 51in Fig. 4 with its larger end 52 uppermost and its smaller end 80 at the bottom so that the parachute and plug therein may as illustrated in this View. In Figs. 1 and 4 I have shownordinary metallic brackets 160 projecting from the body of the housing, and-in Fig. 4. the lowermost numbered 161 is slightly longer than the uppermost. The plug also may be made in sections .as seen at 70 in Fig. 3, so that it will fly apart when the explosion occurs. Instead of coiling the rope 6 within the housing, I may wind it loosely upon a small reel 15 as seen in Fig. 3, so that when the explosion occurs the loop 60 of the rope will unwind automatically from the reel whereupon the latter falls to the" ground. The eye bolt 12 and nut 11. may obviously be omitted as illustrated in this View, and the rope 6 continue uninterruptedly from the ring. R through the plug 7 to the article to be supported thereby.

What is claimed as new is:

1. The combinationflwith ashell open at its upper end and having an aperture in its lower end, and means for attaching the shell to an object, of a parachute normally stored within the upper portion of the shell, flexible means leading from the parachute and loosely through the shell and the aperture to the object to which the shell is connected, said'means constituting the sole connection between the parachute and said .object, a separable element mounted within the shell and beneath the parachute, said connection projecting through said separable element, means stored within the shell and below said element for ejecting the parachuteand separable element, and means for releasing said ejecting means.

2. The combination with a shell having shell and below the parachute, a flexible connection between the parachute and the object to be supported, said connection extending loosely through the shell and separable element, and normally inactive ejecting means Within the shell and below the separable element.

3. The combination with an upright shell of larger diameter at itsupper than at its lower extremity and havin its lower end closed except for a perforation, and connections for attaching said shell to an object; of a parachute adapted to be folded and stored within the upper portion of said shell, a rope leading from the parachute loosely throughout the shell and the perforation in its lower end and secured to the object to which the shell is connected, a plu made in separable sections and disposed within the shell beneath the parachute, the rope passing thrpugh said plug, an expansive agent within the shell between its lower end and said plug, and means for releasing said agent an causing its expansion.

4. The combination with an upright shell of larger diameter at its upper than at its lower extremity and having its lower end closedfexcept for a perforation, and connections for attaching said shell to an object; of a parachute adapted to be folded and stored within the upper portion of said shell, a rope leading from the parachute loosely throughout the shell and the perforation in its lower end and secured to the object to which the shell is connected, a plug disposed within the shell beneath the parachute, the rope passin through said plug, anexpansive agent within the shell between its lower end and said plug, and means for releasing said agent an causing its expansion.

5. The combination with an upright shell having its lower end closed except for a perforation, and connections for attaching said shell to an object; of a parachute adapted to be folded and stored within the upper portion of said shell, a rope leading from the parachute loosely throughout the shell and the perforation in its lower end and secured to the object to which the shell is connected, a plug made in separable sections and disposed within the shell beneath the parachute, the rope passing through said plug, an expansive agent within the shell between its lower end and said plug, and means for releasing said agent and causing its expansion.

6. The combination with an upright shell having its lower end closed except for a perforation, and connections for attaching said shell to an object; of a parachute adapted to be folded and stored within the upper portion of said shell, a connection between the parachute and the object to which the shell is connected, said connection extending through the shell, a plug disposed within the shell beneath the parachute, the connection passing through said plug, a reel located within the shell between its lower end and said plug and upon which said connection is assembled, an expansive agent within the shell between its lower end and said plug, and means for releasing said agent and causing its expansion.

7 The combination with an upright shell of larger diameter at its upper than at its lower extremity and having its lower end closed except for a perforation, and connections for attaching said shell to an object; of a parachute adapted to be folded and stored within the upper portion of said shell, a rope leading from the parachute loosely throughout the shell and the perforation in its lower end and secured to the object to which the shell is connected, a plug disposed within the shell beneath the parachute, therope passing through said plug, a reel located within the shell between its lower end and said plug and upon which said rope is assembled, an expansive agent within the shell between its lower end and said plug, and means for releasing said 

